parties are now long dead, can on that account, do no harm to be related, and should be most extensively published.

A. B. and his wife C. B., were members of the Methodists' Society, in Portsmouth Common: and in decent and respectable circumstances. C. B. was frequently troubled with indigestion, and consequent flatulencies. A female neighbour said to C. B.: "There is a very fine bottle which has done me much good, and I was just as you are; and I am sure it would do you much good also. Do try but one bottle of it." "What do you call it?”"Godfrey's Cordial.”—“Well, I will try it, in God' name, for I am sadly troubled, and would give any thing for a cure, or even for ease." A bottle of this fine spirituous saccharine opiate, was bought and taken secundum artem; and it acted as an elegant dram!" "O, dear, this is a very fine thing; it has done me good already; I shall never be without this in the house." A little disorder in the stomach called the bottle again into request: it acted as before, and got additional praises. By and bye, the husband himself got poorly with a pain in his stomach and bowels; the wife said, "Do, A., take a little of my bottle, it will do you much good." He took it; but then, as he was a man, it must be a stronger dose. "Well, Ci, this is a very fine thing, it has eased me much."-Though the wife was not cured, yet she was very much relieved! So bottle after bottle was purchased, and taken in pretty quick succession. The husband found it necessary also to have frequent recourse to the same; and now they could both bear a double dose; by and bye it was trebled and quadrupled; for, former doses did not give relief as usual: but the increased dose did.-No customers to the quack medicine venders were equal to A. B. and his wife. They had it at last by the dozen, if not by the gross! Soon, scòres

of pounds were expended on this carminative opiate, till at last they had expended on it their whole substance. Even their furniture went by degrees, till at last they were reduced to absolute want, and were obliged to take refuge in the Poor-house. Here they were visited by some pious people of the Society-saw their error, deplored it, and sought God for pardon. A good report was brought of this miserable couple to the Society: it was stated that, they saw their folly, and were truly penitent; and it was a pity to permit a couple, who in all human probability, had much of life before them, to linger it out uselessly in a wretched workhouse. A collection was proposed for their relief, among the principal friends; it was productive, for a considerable sum was raised. They were brought out, placed in a decent little dwelling, and a proper assortment of goods purchased with the subscription already mentioned, and they were set up in a respectable little shop. Many of the friends bound themselves to give A. B. and his wife their custom :-they did so, and the capital was soon doubled, and they went on in religious and secular things very prosperously. Unfortu nately, the wife thought her indigestion and flatulencies had returned, were returning, or would soon RETURN; and she once more thought of Godfrey's Cordial, with desire and terror. “I should have a bottle in the house: surely I have been so warned that I am not likely to make a bad use of it again."-" C., I am afraid of it," said the husband. "My dear," said she, "we have now experience, and I hope we may both take what will do us good, and that only."-Not to be tedious, another bottle was bought and another, and a dozen, and a gross;—and in this they once more drunk out all their property, and terminated their lives in Portsmouth Common Workhouse !

The Reader may be astonished at this infatuation: but

he may rest assured that the case is not uncommon: Daffy's Elixir, Godfrey's Cordial, and Solomon's Balm of Gilead, have in a similar manner impoverished, if not destroyed, thousands. On this very principle they are constructed. They are intended to meet the palate, and under the specious name of medicines, they are actually used as drams; and in no few cases engender the use of each other. Thus, drops beget drams; and drams beget more drops; and they, drams in their turn, till health and property are both destroyed; and, I may add, the soul ruined by these truly infernal composts. It would, it is true, be easy to expose them; and it is difficult to refrain :

Difficile est Satiram non scribere, nam quis iniquæ
Tam patiens urbis, tam ferreus, ut teneat se?"

But who dares do this? The iniquity is licensed by the State and government makes a gain by taxation of that which is destroying the lives and morals of the subject!

As the time of Conference drew nigh, there was a strong and general desire in the Societies to have Mr. C. appointed a second year for the Plymouth Dock circuit: and there was every probability that this wish would have been met by Mr. Wesley, had it not been for the following circumstance :

Robert Carr Brackenbury, Esq., who had been long a i member of the Methodists' Society, and ranked among their preachers, had gone over to the Norman Islands and had preached successfully, especially in the Island of Jersey, where he had taken a house, and set up a family establishment. At this Conference he applied to Mr. Wesley for a preacher to assist him: and Mr. C. was fixed on, as having some knowledge of the French lan

guage. To the regret of the circuit, and not entirely with his own approbation, he was appointed; and was ordered to hold himself in readiness to sail in company with Mr. Brackenbury, as soon as the latter could settle his affairs at his seat at Raithby, Lincolnshire, so as to admit of absence for three months.

In the meantime Mr. C. went and paid a visit to his brother, Surgeon Clarke, who, as we have already seen, was now settled at a place called Maghull, near Liverpool. While Mr. C. was on this visit, he preached different times in that neighbourhood, several were awakened, and a society was formed, which having gone through many vicissitudes, still exists, though not now in a state of great prosperity. On his return from Liverpool by Bristol, to go to Southampton, where he was to embark for the Islands; as Mr. Brackenbury was not yet come, he visited his old circuit, (Bradford,) and spent several days at Trowbridge, where he had always a parental reception at the house of Mr. Knapp, where the preachers generally lodged. There were in the society of this place, several young women, who were among the most sensible and pious in the Methodists' connexion, particularly the Miss Cookes; Mary, Elizabeth, and Frances: the two latter having been among the first members of the society in this town. With these young ladies he occasionally corresponded, especially with the second, ever since he had been in that circuit. This correspondence, as it had been chiefly on matters of religious experience, improved his mind much, and his stile of writing. He found it of great advantage to have a well educated and sensible correspondent; and as neither had any thing in view but their religious and intellectual improvement, they wrote without reserve or embarrassment, and discussed every subject that tended to expand the mind or ameliorate the

heart. About two years before this, the eldest sister, Mary, had joined the society; and became one of Mr. C.'s occasional correspondents. On this visit a more intimate acquaintance took place, which terminated nearly two years after in a marriage, the most suitable and honorable to both parties, and prosperous in its results, that ever occurred in the course of Divine Providence. Of her good sense, prudence, piety, and rare talents for domestic management and the education of a family, too much cannot easily be said." Her works praise her in the gates, and her reputation is in all the churches."

Having tarried here a few days, he received a letter from Mr. B., appointing a day to meet him at Southampton. He set off and got there at the time appointed; but Mr. B. was detained nearly a fortnight longer. During this delay, Mr. C. was kindly entertained at the house of Mr. Fay, in whose son's school-room he had the opportunity of preaching several times during his stay.

He also visited Winchester, on the invitation of Mr. Jasper Winscomb, and preached there frequently and spent much of his time in the cathedral, examining the monuments, and making reflections on the subjects they presented. As these were entered under heads, in a species of Journal, I shall select a few. They were all written between the 11th and 19th of October, while

waiting the arrival of Mr. Brackenbury.

VOL. I.

R